The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-23
Vas III eA,tsrrs enosr,

N o..sss tHs Arrest es x.sss. Mercer. %
whsse Deeth-1sa cenfssstsn There Are
New Runers-The Mysterisus Takins OF
Or Jehs osnsie Many Years Age.
WEBBING, w. Va, Oct. oo.-The death Of
I>ben Mercer. farmer who for many years
has been resident OF Peasants county. his de-
mise occurring about two weeks ago. has had
The effect Of revivins. In very decided man
asr, local interest In an affair which. about
Ihirty.nvs years ago. produced tremendous
psnsstion all along the upper Ohio valley. from
Wheeling to ParkersburR. distance OF nearly
mo hundred miles. There are very good
mounds for the belief that upon his death bed
Mercer made o confession, and In 20 doing
he has but verified suspicion which has filled
The minds Of those who were ct all conversant
With the facts. Tho crime. for crime
Il 10 supposed to have been. was COM
nitted In Wetzel county. and the victim
Vas John Gamble, . prosperous Citizen. who
resided with his family few miles from the
lovn Of Now Martinsville, then 40 now the
pounty seat Gamble was Of speculative
turn Of mind. and frequently visited New Mar
hnsyille to dispose Of live stock or whatever
elss he had. At such times Gamble would
haye several hundred dollars in his possession.
and there were frequent predictions. from tho
careless manner In which he displayed his
money when under the influence OF liquor.
that some day there would DO tragedy and
nat he would be tho victim. This prediction
vas realized, and o most peculiar and mys-
terious murder II was.
One day late In tho summer Of 1855 Gamble,
who lived on the river shore almost opposite
tho little town Of Bardis, came up TO New Mar
tinsyille with o skiff. intending to buy some
cider barrels and then 60 to Cochransville and
nay debt He had about 5000 in his possess
eion. Mercer was In town that day. and the
two men. being well known to each other. got
20 drinking together Toward dark Gamble
started for homo. and AZ Mercer's route also
Lay along the river for mile or 30 before he
"a UoSd pp III mus n tom
so s S and then started on down the river in
Was never seen alive aiterward. An extended
%as ss all Il III day
missing man was found stuck against the end
she Il he n
bad been held. and Ia y wac piece OF shirt
SUag spna
e ths ehspns o. the river twsnty %ss o.
RSas have 1T aa@Sle TT! The rsmsins wore aisrSSsd.
and had boon stripped Of everything OF value.
when q
sional nature TRANSFERRED. After the custom Of
vss IN. sSsFS 81 M a. IL.
sa g. lien Joy ana H..
ssthsr With not. a iex Of older years. Among
others. crowd OF fifteen or twenty, young
s sf sh cut s Sss :sns anS e ses
home fhs party keHt toseshsI pn ut, , NIX
ssed TSe Ri!iside Is very stsep and there
two pdset SSt f. the rsss
sivsly easy, : dispute arose as TO which should
finally tho party ~ separated Into two rival fac
tons each agreeing to take one one OF the routes
longer but less preeipitous route came out on
pieee 81 land The owner Of this land had cpt
y as'R % drain thu hollow n SehRd ana
shaps Of small ravne full ,t Of r brush and
Essias = VIII riShs sns!ss sIs sssh was tSs ePs
when the latter met his death. and the spot
about the !ittle ravihe was an extremely lonely
sraSed the young
S s.S Buy h 2 T q rs1hs SSs and
proprietor Of the Wetzel House In town. was 30
sE
TT sS Ss and st thus rs Saa tss ss
oss ssss Would have ave to RsfG Iii. ' ~. 'us
hurried on to town. They had barely got be-
eSt Hmm
from neck e heels n white, standing within ma
Sl siT tS ~ srins. when shs spia.s replied.
stole slowly and softly away. and Hineman lost
town; Rs made hs .PnssrsR ss On S ne Ra6;
SS E9 ss Fse
thoroush search II the locality, suoceeded in
discovering some articles which were recoe-
to hs MsSs.r aams up
New Msrtinsvi H and It was agreed that Htns.
nan should b. given an, opportunity, to talk to
S% III
Mercer into the little back parlor Of his house
% %sS q to Ss2SH s e OBJECT ana
Mrs.. HinemSn. who was cognizant OF her hus-
bands aim, and VINO feared that Mercer might
also kill him. broke open the door and brought
Mercer was then arrested by the authorities
ana brought to trial, he being defended, b., the
present supreme Judge. Alpheps Hay
son Of Ohio county, now 50 years Of age, sat
upon the bench. The gr9secuttng attorney
WILD, now deceased. A long and closely con-
tested legal battle was fought, but despite the
utmost endeavors Of the State y was tmpossi-
aocused. It was thought that the man who
bad played the ghost to John Aineman might
have taken the peculiar method he did to
bring the murderer to Justice without compro-
missing bimself. but the search for this party
was returned By the jury.
Mercer continued to live in the Vicinity OF
New Martiusville for many years, but he was
always looked upon with suspicion. and he led
n xpfth da N N n nparantly n